Crackdown on drivers as death toll hits 52

FIFTY-ONE people have died on Irish roads since January 1, prompting Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to warn last night of an unprecedented garda crackdown on motorists.

Mr Ahern insisted all drivers would face far more checkpoints and speed cameras in the near future.

“We’re putting a large number of gardaí on the roads, they’re going to set up checkpoints, it is going to be fairly difficult for ordinary law-abiding people on the roads.

“They’re going see a far greater number of gardaí, but unfortunately with the kind of road deaths we have, then we have to impose it without fear or favour.

Mr Ahern was responding to charges from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny that he had failed to get a grip on the “national emergency” unfolding on Irish roads.

Mr Kenny said the Taoiseach had promised action many times in the past and failed to deliver.

“This Government’s failure to treat this issue as a national crisis is sending a signal to speed merchants to continue with their deadly behaviour,” he said.

“Why have we got 425,000 people on provisional driving licences in the country? Why is there a waiting list of over 53 weeks in many test centres? Surely that is evidence of complete incompetence by whoever is in charge of that.”

Mr Ahern said the Government was not “sitting back” but moving to reduce driving test waiting times, introduce more penalty point offences, establish a road safety authority, bring forward a bill to provide for private speed cameras and unveil legislation for random breath testing.

He said a high-level group had been established to co-ordinate the activities of the Departments of Transport and Justice, and he had convened a meeting of that group last week.

The situation on Ireland’s roads was highlighted by a National Roads Authority survey which revealed 63% of drivers are breaking speed limits on regional roads, where most crashes happen.

Vice-chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport Peter Power said the findings made an “unassailable” case for immediately scrapping the ban on provisional licence-holders using motorways.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Martin Cullen indicated he may take National Toll Roads to court over the poor level of service being provided by them on the M50.